Princess Marie and Prince Joachim loves to be on vacation in France and so too do their altogether four children. However it’s only six months old Athena who is with her parents when Billed Bladet meets the Prince and Princess at the Regent Couple’s wine-chateau, Cayx, where they are on vacation and enjoys the sun.
- “Henrik is crossed today and a little impossible because he yesterday had to say goodbye to his older brothers, Nikolai and Felix, who were flying home. He thought it was unfair that his best playmates were going”, tells Prince Joachim with an overbearing smile when the princely couple is strolling up from the wine yards in front of the chateau with their little daughter Athena on the arm.
- “When he’s like that we wouldn’t pressure him but he’ll be good again soon enough”, says Princess Marie about her three-year-old son, who just adores his two half brothers.
- “He thinks they are utterly fantastic a lot of fun to be with. And they are also very fond of him”, tells Prince Joachim, who the day before drove his two oldest sons to Toulouse, so that they could fly home to Denmark after a little more than ten days in France.
Princess Athena on the other hand is in a super-mood. Completely unaffected by the heat and very trusting and curious towards strangers, she sits on the arm of her mother wearing a flowery sun-hat and matching summer dress, that reveals gorgeous well-nourished baby-arms and legs and wearing a big charming smile.
When we say hello and say her name, she smiles even more and happily wave arms and legs, while her little tongue fly back and forth in the mouth, because she is having teeth.
- “Well, she’s a happy little one”, says Joachim and adds lovingly:
- “She has really landed well. She can certainly be determined and that’s fine too, but she’s just quite incredibly happy, easy and calm. She’s actually been that from the beginning”, says the Prince and look utterly in love at his little daughter, whose easy temper he praises highly.
- “Yes, she’s very happy, she’s always smiling. From morning till the evening, that’s so lovely”, says Princess Marie who can get the little Princess laughing just by looking at her – and visa versa. The chemistry and the tight loving bond between mother and daughter cannot be mistaken.

The lovely, relaxed and happy holiday-mood is easy to sense with Princess Marie, Prince Joachim and their little daughter, Athena, who just sits contend and laughs in the arms of her mother and father, while they stroll in the wine yards in front of the chateau Cayz in France, where the weather only during the last week on the holiday has become sunny and warm.
- “But it has been total enjoyment. Wonderful days in both good and bad weather. But lately the swimming pool has been red hot”, says Prince Joachim and tells that the whole family enjoy being at the chateau.
Especially Nikolai and Felix really feel at home here. It is after all farmor and farfar’s (paternal grandparents) chateau, but to them Cayz is really “at home”. “They just have such a cosy time, when we are here”, tells Prince Joachim and adds:
- “And Athena seems to enjoy France just as much as we do”.

Q: Whom do you think she resembles?
- “Well, my family thinks she looks like me as a baby”, says Princess Marie. – “But I think she looks more like her father. She has also turned out more fair, just like Prince Joachim was…. And then she has Felix’ eyes, the same colour and shape”, says Princess Marie who also tells that the little Princess’ eyes was one of the reasons that the Prince and she chose the name Athena.
- We have always been very fond of that name, but it really suits her well. Right from when she was born she had something special in her gaze, some very strong eyes”, says the Princess about her Athena, who is named after a Greek goddess, the daughter of Zeus and goddess for wisdom, science, craftsmanship, art and war.
There isn’t much war in the family, because Athena’s siblings as well love their little sister. There is not even jealousy, says Prince Joachim.
- “Prince Henrik is very aware of his responsibility as a big brother. Of course he had to get used to a new agenda because he has been used to be more alone with us, but he is very fond of Athena and there is not the slightest jealousy. He is really sweet towards her and very interested and (he) doesn’t say baby, but call her Athena, we take that as an expression of full acceptance”, laughs the Prince.
- “At the same time it’s not only a pleasure, but also an advantage that Athena is so easy and calm. Because Prince Henrik can sense that when she is calm, happy and contend, then that gives him more time with us. Not that he doesn’t get his time. That he does, absolutely, because he is still only three years”, says Prince Joachim about his lovely children, who are so fine among themselves, despite the difference in age.
- “That’s a big, big delight. And Nikolai and Felix are exemplary older brothers for their little brother and the biggest idols for their little brother. That’s also why he was so upset with them going home before him”, laughs the Prince lovingly guides his wife (*) and little daughter into the garden, so that they can get inside and have a cosy time with Prince Henrik and get him in holiday-mood again.

There are four pictures of Athena in the article, of those three are detailed. He tongue is all over the place and her eyes are smiling.

Joachim and our Marie will also go to the Olympics at some point. This will be her first Olympics.

Trine Larsen also covers the official pictures of Prince Felix on the occasion of his tenth birthday. A now familiar photographer, Steen Brogaard, made these pics.
Joachim says about his son: “Ten years! Yes, that’s fantastic! And incredible, how time flies.
Felix is simply a lovely boy. Utterly fantastic, if I may say so myself! Bright and alert… yes, both are, both Felix and Nikolai, and then they are each other’s best friends and have always been so. Felix is very much looking up to Nikolai and for that I’m certainly not sorry. If Nikolai had been a brat, then I might worry, but he is in no way that.
I’m both proud and happy that Felix has him as a role model. That also means that Felix is very social and he has a lot of very good friends. He has a loving temper and that he now also has status of older brother is something he is incredibly pleased with. He is enormously good and very patient with his little brother, and (he is) perhaps also closer to Henrik than Nikolai, because the difference in age isn’t that big”.

A very nice article, but I am puzzled. Why were they on vacation and not at Grasten? I suppose Grasten is NOT considered a command performance for the DRF, but still - should they not be there? Or they fading in importance as Frederik and Mary's family grows?

A very nice article, but I am puzzled. Why were they on vacation and not at Grasten? I suppose Grasten is NOT considered a command performance for the DRF, but still - should they not be there? Or they fading in importance as Frederik and Mary's family grows?

You said it, it's not a command. They obviously holiday when convenient with family matters so for Joachim and Marie it happened to coincide with the week of the Gratsen photocall.

Said to BB's Trine Larsen about J&M going to the Olympics for a couple of days:
- "It would otherwise by a great pity when the Olympics, so to speak, takes place in the backyard. So fortunately we have succeeded to find a few days where that can fit the schedule (*) and where my moster (maternal aunt), Princess Benedikte can take over.
She too has a big interest in among other things equestrian and (she) would like to see Princess Nathalie compete at the Olympics. But the puzzle was laid, so that Princess Marie and I also can go.
The Princess has never experienced an Olympics, so that'll be exciting and we are very much looking forward".

(*) Also keep in mind that the harvest season has begun here in DK, so Joachim will have plenty to do at Schackenborg as well.
Unfortunately there has been a drought in USA and Russia, so the prices for corn are way up, making this years harvest even more important here in DK.

Muhler has already answered that with the translation of the Billed-Bladet article above, see post 5 , Prince Henrik had been a bit bad-tempered and they had not wanted to strain him with the photo session.

it appears like prince joachim and family have hold their own photosession some day last week Se billederne af Joachim, Marie og børnene på Cayx - HER&NU but as a average Dane i sometimes dont understand prince joachims role in the drf, isnt it a bit "much" for a prince couple to hold their own private photosession on holiday especially when the yearly photosession at gråsten with the rest of the royal family is already in next week.

I don't think it's too much.
Partly because there is a genuine interest in J&M and their children, not least while they are young.
But also because they lessen the burden on M&F.

If Joachim and our Marie had chosen to step further away from the limelight, there would be an increased pressure on M&F - and constantly. The current gentleman's agreements may not continue if that was so.

Also, the Regent Couple won't be around forever, by then there will be an even greater pressure on M&F, so it's fine that J&M take their share.
The magazines get their and the DRF are left pretty much alone for the rest of the holiday. That works fine

Apart from that, J&M actually do a good deal of work, so naturally they should be covered.

of course, but sometimes prince joachim and family seems to make more photosessions than the regent couple and crown prince family, maybe it is just me :-) i just dont see this in other royal families.